Year in Review – Pat’s Top 10

This week’s Top 10 is actually a “Top 12” and a summary of some of the highlights of 2010. It’s always easy to forget a year and a short year in review is always worthwhile.

Have a great week!

Pat Bell - http://www.patbellmla.bc.ca/

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January – Having the Olympic Torch come through Prince George and Mackenzie was certainly a highlight and brought the Olympics closer to us all!

February – We brought the world to B.C when 3.5 billion people from around the world witnessed the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, the most successful Winter Games ever!

March –Announced $87 million for 51 new provincial highway projects in northern B.C., bringing the value of ongoing highway construction across the region to more than $200 million.

April – “Site C” moves to the next phase and a detailed environmental assessment. This project will create about 35,000 person years of work and will be a real benefit to our economy!

May – Agreements in place make the Northwest Transmission Line a reality, opening up the Northwest to some of the clean energy potential that has been identified in the region and creating jobs with a   $404 million investment through its partners.

June - Early childhood education entered a new era in B.C. thanks to a $144 million investment providing 665 new classrooms needed to accommodate full-day kindergarten in September 2011.

July – Construction gets under way on the $102 million BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North, eliminating the need for northern residents to travel south for treatment – saving them both time and money

August – The Mackenzie pulp mill re-opening represents a triumph for the many partners, the community and the workers and their families benefitting from the 220 direct and 500 indirect jobs.

September – Prince George is awarded the 2015 Canada Winter Games, our time to shine!

October – The Red Rock inspection station opens bringing a state-of-the-art, commercial vehicle inspection station and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) weigh scale on Highway 97 south of Prince George, allowing trucking companies to save time and money while reducing greenhouse gas emission through reduced idling.

November – The 2010 trade mission to China generated total sales orders five times greater than the mission two years ago. That’s the equivalent of two mills going full-out for a year, with all production going to China. Annual sales to China have now surpassed the production of 10 sawmills!

December – There are more people working in B.C. than ever before! Latest statistics show that B.C. created 4,300 net new jobs in November setting an all-time record for jobs in British Columbia – beating the previous record set prior to the recession in 2008. The steps we’ve taken to strengthen B.C.’s economy and recover from the global downturn are working